


Steps

by Joules Mer (joulesmer)



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2019-12-07 08:10:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18232217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joulesmer/pseuds/Joules%20Mer
Summary: Kids adore Jim.  It’s just one of those facts of life.  Jim says it’s because of his magnetic personality.  Bones says it’s because he communicates on their level.  Unfortunately, there’s one notable exception...





	1. Chapter 1

Kids adore Jim. It’s just one of those facts of life. Jim says it’s because of his magnetic personality. Bones says it’s because he communicates on their level. 

Take Demora: she loves her Uncle Jim. Messages to Sulu always include some piece of news for Jim or, more often than not, her wishes that he gets well soon after whatever latest scrape they’ve been in. While she has eyes only for her daddy when they first meet up on shore leave or on furlough, come back a couple hours later and she’s just as likely to be perched on Jim’s lap.

When Christopher Pike arrived for an unofficial inspection tour with an awestruck nephew in tow, it was Jim who got the kid to relax and open up until Thomas was chattering away with the captain so quickly it was unclear how they were taking the time to breathe. 

But not Joanna McCoy

She opened the front door, took one look at James T Kirk, and hated his guts with all the passion an eleven year old can muster. It was three weeks before they were to take the Enterprise out and Jim was a constant feature of the 24 hour news cycles: the savior of Earth, the Kelvin baby all grown up and avenged his father’s death, the to-be captain of the flagship.

Five hours later, sequestered in the guest bedroom of Leonard’s mother’s house, Jim accepted a bottle of beer with a despondent, “She hates me, Bones.”

Rolling his eyes, Leonard took a sip of his own and retorted, “She does not.”

Reflecting on the disaster of a lunch, Jim argued, “She didn’t speak to me once. Or look at me once we were inside.”

“Probably just a little shy.”

Jim had recognized that look in her eyes: it was not shyness.

Kicking his legs out in front of the antique desk chair he was perched on, Leonard conceded, “Maybe I should have introduced you on the comm before. Lord knows I’ve told her enough about you.”

Not wanting to stir up trouble when Bones was obviously still flushed with satisfaction from getting the spend the whole afternoon with his baby girl, Jim took another sip of his beer and kept his mouth shut.

 

**********

A year later and they were back on Earth again, feeling suddenly older and wrung out. Pike had been given a funeral with pomp and circumstance and full honors and then had his ashes quietly scattered in Mojave with just a handful of friends and family. Jim had been there, just barely, a little too pale and battling a lingering weakness in his limbs, but there nonetheless. Bones had helped; standing unobtrusively at his side and keeping him upright when his knees started to falter.

Two grueling weeks of physical therapy and near constant meetings with the brass followed, until Leonard finally put his foot down and put them both on three months of leave. Rumor had it fixing up the Enterprise could take close to a year. So far as Leonard was concerned, Starfleet could do without them for a while. Jim came home to find the older man packing, efficiently shoving clothes into a shoulder bag.

Straightening, Leonard brushed his hair back from his forehead, managing a brittle smile at Jim hovering in the doorway. “I want to go home, Jim. For a while.”

Oh. Home meant Georgia. Jim had visited a few times, even stayed for a week one Christmas.

“Don’t be an idiot.” Catching what was written all over the younger man’s face, Leonard added, “I want you to come too.”

Jim probably should have asked more questions, but his relief was such that he simply agreed and pulled out his own bag.

**********

It turned out that Leonard had rented a townhouse: large and airy, two bedrooms and an office, halfway between his grandmother’s farm and Joanna’s school, but not strictly close to either. Leonard had also leased a flitter, and as he piloted it away from the shuttleport a vintage motorcycle with a _for sale_ sign propped up in a driveway caught their eyes.

Leonard watched Jim’s head turn to follow the bike and in a spectacular concession, given previous rants about two-wheeled death traps, made a u-turn with a mild, “Guess you could use a project.”

Jim couldn’t quite believe it, but wasn’t about to complain. Reaching over, he gave Leonard’s knee a gentle squeeze of thanks as they slowed to a halt next to the bike.

Things had been odd between them, since Khan. A fragile peace as they tiptoed around Pike’s death and Jim’s resurrection. Forty-eight hours in Georgia and Jim was on his back on the smooth concrete of the driveway, shaded by the door of the garage, tinkering with the motorcycle he was determined to rebuild fully. He didn’t hear the hiss of the door or footsteps over the thumping bass of his music: he did feel a gentle kick to his calf and looked up to find Leonard holding two sweating glasses of sweet tea and looking down with a curious expression on his face. 

“Hey, Bones.”

That strange expression on Leonard’s face slowly turned into a familiar grin that had been missing for weeks. Jim realized his ratty old shirt had rucked up, exposing the flex of his abs and the line of the well-worn jeans low on his hips. 

Leonard’s tongue darted out to lick his lips, and fuck yeah they were back to normal. 

The ice slowly melted into the forgotten sweet tea.

Also, unfortunately, back to normal was their usual pattern with Joanna: she monopolized Leonard, ignored Jim, and seemed to hate him just as much as she had the year before. After a dinner with the middle schooler that had felt more to Jim like a sit-in than a family meal, the captain had adopted a new strategy: laying low.

Salvation came in the form of an unexpected construction project at the end of their first week: Eleanor McCoy had commed to say that an unexpected windstorm had taken three panes of sheeting off the roof of the old stables. Jim had spent a summer in high school making serious bank, for a seventeen year old, with a local roofing company. By the end of the summer he’d been tanned brown from the waist up, muscles that had nearly wasted away on Tarsus strong and lean, with enough money saved to move out at eighteen and never look back. 

Working outdoors with his hands. Jim would never have imagined he’d be doing that again: it was everything he’d told himself he was leaving behind when he joined the academy, but damned if there wasn’t anywhere else he’d rather be. They’d have breakfast together at the townhouse, then Leonard would drive to Emory where they’d grabbed him to lead a neurology seminar for the university and act as a specialized trauma consult at the teaching hospital. Jim would take the long route on his bike, enjoying the country roads that wound the way to the McCoy farm. Eleanor’s side of the family turned out to be the source of Leonard’s dry wit, and when the sun climbed high into the sky she’d haul Jim inside for a homemade lunch, just the two of them. A full afternoon on the roof, well fed, enjoying the view across the rolling farmland, the fresh air and sunshine. Damn it felt good.

The thing with McCoys: they could read Kirks like an open book. Two weeks into the project Eleanor ushered a slightly sunburnt Jim onto the veranda where she’d set a table in front of the swing seat with glasses of ice water and a plate of roast beef sandwiches on homemade bread.

It was easily enough to get his guard down, and the moment she sensed weakness Eleanor smiled winningly and asked, “How are things with Leonard and Jo?”

“Bones and Jo are great. She hates me,” Jim confessed, trying not to sound petulant.

To his surprise, instead of offering platitudes, Eleanor laughed until her eyes crinkled at the edges and she gasped, “Lord, does she ever!” Jim gaped, because that was the opposite of the encouragement couched in denial he’d received from Leonard. Wiping at the corners of her eyes, she sobered enough to place a hand on Jim’s knee and warmly assured, “Don’t worry, son. It’s plain to see, but it’s nothing to do with you really. She’ll come around to see that someday, but in the meantime I won’t deny you refuge over here. Specially not when you’re so handy.” Another gentle squeeze to his knee and she continued, “David’s death hit us all hard, Jo included, and the divorce so soon after only made it worse. She misses her daddy, and you’re the most visible part of a life that she doesn’t think includes her.”

Jim took another sip of his water and filed that away.

The stalemate continued for the next month, even when Jocelyn started letting Joanna stay over at the townhouse Friday nights after school. If Jim had thought the previous dinners were awkward, those were even worse. It didn’t help that Leonard didn’t seem to have a clue how to navigate it: afraid to discipline too hard, and for what, and enjoying having her around after so long and not wanting to jeopardize that. Jim finished the roof and started on a new fence.

On the Friday with five weeks left in their leave a lunchtime cloudburst made Jim pack up work at the farm early. It was just a passing shower, by mid-afternoon the ground was dry and Jim rolled the bike into the middle of the driveway so he could shine the chrome just for something to do.

If the chirp of his comm caught him by surprise it was nothing compared to Leonard’s harried voice, “We’ve got a complex trauma case inbound and they need me. I need you to pick up Jo at school. I don’t know if I’ll make it home for dinner. There’s a lasagna in the fridge. We usually grab an ice cream on the way home on Fridays.” The channel snapped closed before Jim could reply.

It was 2:46… school was out at 3:15.

Leonard had taken their rental flitter to the hospital that morning. 

Oh shit. He was going to get skinned alive for this, but Leonard hadn’t exactly left him much choice. One quickly purchased adolescent helmet en route and Jim’s motorcycle rolled up near the school entrance at 3:12. Aware of the stares of the parents hovering around, he pulled on a pair of sunglasses and tried to look nonchalant as he waited in jeans and a leather jacket amidst the crowd of business casual and athleisure wear.

Fortunately the bell rang before too many of the parents tried to covertly take his picture with their comms. Jim could see the exact moment Joanna recognized him: the excited smile stiffening into something more fixed even as her friends burst into excited chatter and began to pull out their own comms.

The fact that it was a public setting more than anything was probably what made her put a polite smile on her face and address him directly for the first time in recent memory, “Mr. Kirk. My dad couldn’t make it?”

Yeah, he’d be disappointed too, so Jim smiled with diplomatic warmth and explained, “He was so sorry: a complex trauma came in and they needed him to stay. He’ll be back later tonight, but asked me to pick you up.” Something glinted in her eyes, quickly suppressed, when he brought the new helmet out from behind his back and proffered it between them. “Want to grab some ice cream?”

For four seconds he was afraid she was going to refuse, but then she pointed into the distance and offered, “There’s a place on Cochrane Boulevard.”

It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no. It was an offer to tolerate him in the presence of ice cream. He locked her backpack under the seat and settled himself before helping her up behind him. Apologetically, because who wants to be told to touch their father’s boyfriend, he added, “You’re going to have to hang on.”

When her hands came up to grip at his sides, Jim turned on the bike and tried to ignore the line of middle schoolers with their comms out as he gently started them rolling and then pulled into traffic. 

It didn’t look like a jeans and t-shirt kind of place, but the gold leaf in the window promised ice cream so Jim parked the bike and helped Joanna hop off the back. 

As they entered the front door it gave the elegant tinkle of an old-fashioned bell and a young man in a suit looked up from the host’s station. “Can I help you?”

Joanna hung back slightly, so Jim tried a winning smile, “We’d like a table for two.”

A glance up and down and the beginning of the reply wasn’t encouraging, “Without a reservation I’m afraid...” the young man trailed off in a manner that would have been comical as Jim took off his sunglasses and quickly corrected, “that would normally be a problem, but I’m sure, Captain Kirk, we can find you a table.”

Jim beamed and Joanna took an involuntary step forward of undisguised interest. As they were led through the decidedly posh looking tea room Jim had a suspicion he’d been played, but honestly couldn’t care less. The beginning of a smile on Jo’s face as the waiter helped her with her chair and then unfurled a crisp white napkin on her lap had Jim working to hide his own grin.

The menu had gilt edges and was printed on real paper. It was also utterly devoid of prices.

Joanna ordered herself a honeycomb sundae and lemonade and Jim ordered a coffee and a peach cobbler.

Once the waiter retreated, Jim fiddled with a too shiny silver teaspoon and asked, “How was school?” The unspoken, _ugh_ in her expression was plain and Jim couldn’t help but chuckle self-deprecatingly and offer, “I’m sorry. I’m pretty terrible at this.”

That seemed to get her attention. Raising an eyebrow that was a miniature of her father’s, she asserted, “I thought you were supposed to be captain perfect.”

Jim snorted in surprise, “Jeez, I wish! My life would be so much easier if I was Captain Perfect, can you imagine?” He gave the spoon a twirl, “The admirals would get off my back about insulting alien diplomats and your dad wouldn’t have to lecture me all the time and I sure as hell would know better than to ask you dumb questions you probably don’t even think I’m interested in. The thing is, Jo, I do want to know you. Your dad loves you so much and tells me all about you and I just have no idea how to do this because no one ever did it with me.”

In the resulting silence between them the waiter set their desserts on the table. Feeling acutely like he’d definitely blown it, Jim picked up his fork and started to dig into his dessert only for a soft drawl to filter across the table, “What’dya mean?”

Swallowing, Jim looked up to find Jo’s green eyes watching him closely with real interest. Twelve, he reminded himself, she’s twelve, “Well, you know my dad died when I was born?” She nodded, because of course everyone knew that. “Well my mom was gone a lot when I was little. I guess she found it hard to be back on Earth after he died, because as soon as I was old enough she headed back into space and left my brother Sam and me with our grandma and Uncle Frank.” Jim licked his lips and carefully continued, “Uncle Frank wasn’t very nice to us. He had problems, with drinking and other things, and could get pretty mean. When I was about your age I was sent to a colony planet. It was great at first: I was living with my aunt and uncle on my dad’s side, for the first time living with the Kirks, but there was a natural disaster and a lot of people died.”

“Your aunt and uncle?”

“They didn’t make it.” Jim took a sip of water, then continued, “So I came back to Earth, but it wasn’t any better here. I left home when I turned eighteen and wasn’t doing much after that.”

“You didn’t go to Starfleet?”

The thought of going to the academy at eighteen was so preposterous Jim couldn’t help but snort, “There’s no way they’d have taken me then. I was a certified juvenile delinquent, Jo. I was older— twenty-two— when I ran into Captain Pike in a bar at the Riverside Shipyards and he convinced me to join up.”

“How’d he do that?”

The thought of Pike could still make tears prickle his eyes and Jim was embarrassed to find that afternoon was no exception. “He dared me.”

“He _dared_ you?” Her tone of voice was almost impressed, whether with Jim or Pike wasn’t clear.

“Yeah. Dared me to make something of myself. To live up to what my dad sacrificed himself for.” Gaze slipping down to his cobbler with a slowly melting scoop of vanilla ice cream, Jim admitted, “Captain— Admiral Pike kind of mentored me at the academy. I guess you could say he was more of a father figure than anyone ever was.” She was watching him with open interest now, so Jim dared put a proposal on the table: “I’ll tell you what: if I ask you a question you can ask me a question.”

She took a large bite of her sundae and appeared to consider it for a moment, one last rebellion, before acquiescing, “Okay.”

Victory. He considered for a moment, unsure how much to push his luck, settling for, “What’s your favorite food?”

“Ice cream.” She took a deliberate bite, licking the spoon before she asked, “How’d you meet my dad?”

“On the shuttle to the academy. He threatened to throw up on me.” She laughed and it was the most emotion she’d ever willingly displayed in his presence. “Least favorite subject at school?”

“Earth languages. Everyone speaks Standard anyway and we don’t learn enough of any language to be useful.” She contemplated him for a moment before asking, “Is your brother in Starfleet too?”

And damn if she didn’t accidentally cut closer than Jim had expected possible. He’d set the terms; he wasn’t about to back down now. “No. He ran away from home when I was eleven and they sent him away. I didn’t see him for a long time.” He let her digest that for a moment, then asked, “What’s your favorite thing to do on a weekend?”

Without hesitation, she replied, “Riding. At Great-gramma McCoy’s.” She contemplated him for a moment in a manner that was so reminiscent of her father it made something twist in Jim’s stomach. “Did you really die?”

The news cycles had been unrelenting; Jim should have known she’d have seen the coverage. Softly, he admitted, “Yes.”

“Did it hurt?”

It was two questions, but he wasn’t about to call her on it. Remembering the loss of her grandfather, he carefully said, “Yes, but it doesn’t always. I’d do it again, though, to save my crew. They’re my family now.” She seemed to be contemplating that as the final remains of her sundae melted into a puddle. “Want to head home?”

She blinked, taking in her finished dessert, then meeting Jim’s yes with a genuine smile. “Yes.”

Jim paid quickly, the damage about what he’d expected given the general ambiance of the place.

“Mr. Jim,” her smaller hand slipped into his own as they walked back towards the bike, “thanks.”

“Anytime, Jo.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost five by the time they got home. Jim shoved the lasagna into the oven, then turned to find Jo standing hesitantly on the other side of the island.

He waited until she eventually said, “Dad was going to help me with my science project. It’s due on Monday so I need to practice my presentation. He was going to watch me do it five times.”

Oh. _Oh_. Science, he could do that, even if she wasn’t quite going to ask. “What’s it about?”

“The life-cycle of the Altarian fire beetle. We’re studying insects.”

Fire beetles? Not quite his forte, but he’d listened to stranger presentations before. “Where do you want to do this?”

“Sit on the couch.”

So he sat on the couch, and learned more than he’d ever wanted to know about Altarian fire beetles. She gave the presentation well, so he told her so, then asked a few questions which she fielded easily. By the time dinner was ready they were talking about more than just fire beetles. She even helped him tidy up and leave a plate of dinner for Bones in the stasis unit.

It was nine o’clock when Leonard finally got home, wearily slouching through the front door but mustering a smile when he caught sight of Jim stretched out on the couch with a padd.

“There’s lasagna for you in the stasis.”

“Thanks, Jim. Jo okay?”

“She’d reading in her bedroom. I told her lights out in fifteen minutes whether you were home or not.”

Nodding appreciatively, Leonard dropped his bag by the door and headed towards the guest bedroom to say goodnight.

The murmur of conversation was just audible, although the words themselves were indistinct. Jim buried himself in his padd until Leonard emerged ten minutes later, looking remarkably more relaxed. He moved to stand above the couch, waiting for Jim to finish the passage he was reading before he said, “I gather the ice has broken.”

“I hope so.”

“You went to Pettifours?”

Jim nodded, at least it wasn’t an accusation of having taken her on the motorcycle.

With a fond smile, Leonard pressed a kiss to the top of Jim’s head, then into the cropped blonde locks whispered, “We usually stop at the Cone Castle. It’s one of the food trucks by the park.”

**********

The next morning Joanna suggested that Jim could come to the botanical gardens with them.

As they wound their way through the well manicured trails, she asked him three questions: had he ever seen a man-eating carnivorous plant, had he ever had a bird poop on him and did it land in his hair or on his clothes, and had he ever touched stinging nettles? He answered all three of them. Honestly. Even the bird shit.

She didn’t hug him goodbye when they dropped her at Jocelyn’s house, but she did wave in his general direction as she climbed out of the back of the flitter.

Leonard drove straight home and proceeded to drag Jim directly to the bedroom.

 

**********

The following weekend was even more encouraging: Joanna declared that she wanted to go riding at her great-grandmother’s. Some hastily ordered and delivered boots and Jim piled into the flitter with them, sprawling in the back seat so Jo could sit up front with Leonard.

As they turned down the long driveway of the McCoy farm, Joanna asked the inevitable question: “Where did you learn to ride, Mr. Jim?”

Keeping his gaze shielded by sunglasses and face tilted towards the window Jim replied, “At my uncle’s farm in Idaho, before they moved off world.”

Leonard’s eyes appeared in the rearview mirror, the vehicle slowing as he scrutinized Jim in surprise. There was nothing he could say in front of Joanna, so after a moment he glanced back to the road and continued towards the house. 

It was a perfect autumn afternoon: not too warm and not too cool. Jim spent the first forty-five minutes just leaning against the fence he’d built, enjoying the sight of Leonard coaching Joanna. Eventually he pulled out his comm and captured a few holos of Jo and then Bones riding.

Noticing the camera, Leonard dismounted and motioned Jim over, “Your turn. You need a hand up?”

Shrugging with a smile, Jim swaggered over in a way he knew would bait Leonard as he asserted, “I think I can manage.”

The younger man mounted smoothly enough, so Leonard handed over the reins and pulled out his own comm. “See if you can get out of that shadow and I’ll get a holo of you before you fall off.”

Jim raised an eyebrow innocently and asked, “Over here?” He carefully stepped the horse sideways in a motion that made Joanna burst out laughing.

“You’re really good, Mr. Jim!”

Rolling his eyes, Leonard raised the comm to snap a picture, “Oh, he’s just full of surprises.”

They rode until Eleanor called them back to the house for sweet tea and sandwiches. It was a pleasant lunch on the veranda: the three adults and Joanna. The conversation mostly about the horses, riding lessons, and Joanna’s great success with the fire beetle presentation. Jim gave himself a pat on the back for that one.

Lunch finished and Joanna disappeared inside with Eleanor and the dishes. Five minutes later she re-appeared with a bang of the screen door and announced, “Gramma and I are going to make a pie. Y’all can have a rest.” She heaved something onto the porch that landed with a heavy thud, then disappeared back inside.

It looked like a bundle of rope, but Leonard chuckled appreciatively and pulled himself out of his chair to collect it with a smile, “Come on, Jim.”

Leonard led the way down into the garden where a pair of dogwood trees were just the right distance apart. With practiced ease he quickly got the old rope hammock set up and tugged Jim in after him. In the dappled shade of the trees it was a perfect temperature to settle pressed together, enjoying the breeze as conversation slowly trailed off into just enjoying each other’s presence.

Some unknown amount of time later Jim woke up to the sensation of being watched. There was a heavy weight against his chest which his brain supplied as, _Bones_ , and a slight swaying that was eventually identified as _hammock_. Carefully opening his eyes he squinted into the sunlight for a moment before his vision cleared and he found Joanna standing not twelve feet away, watching them with sharp eyes. 

Joanna swallowed when she realized he was awake, throat clenching for a moment before she quickly said, “Pie’s ready, come up when you want a slice,” then turned abruptly and ran away, ignoring his soft cry of, “Jo!”

Miraculously, it wasn’t enough to wake Leonard, so Jim gave him a gentle nudge and a whisper of, “Bones?” The older man barely stirred, so Jim tried again, “Pie. There’s pie, Bones.”

That got a reaction: Leonard stretched languidly and slurred, “Haven’t had a nap like that in a long time.” He pressed a kiss to Jim’s temple, then carefully extricated them from the hammock without flipping it.

The sinking feeling in the pit of Jim’s stomach only got stronger the closer they got to the house. Sure enough, Joanna seemed to be ignoring him again. She chatted with her father and great-grandmother, but aside from setting a piece of peach pie in front of him Jim may as well have ceased to exist. 

Returning Leonard’s confused glance with a shrug, Jim applied himself to his dessert and reminded himself it was nothing personal. Not really.

It didn’t dispel the sour feeling in his stomach.


	3. Chapter 3

The following weekend was back to old familiar patterns and in moments when Joanna wasn’t looking Leonard’s face would briefly crumple in disappointment. Jim even begged out of a trip to the park, citing a problem with the Enterprise retrofits that had just come to his attention and needed to be resolved immediately.

There were only two weeks left before they were due back in San Francisco, and Jim resigned himself to being an unwanted presence for just a little longer. Leonard doggedly booked tickets for the three of them to attend a music festival the following weekend, eyebrows drawing together as he confirmed the purchase.

The following weekend Leonard picked Joanna up from school on Friday and swung by the Cone Castle as usual. She was smiley-sweet across the picnic table from him: talking non-stop about school and her friends and he couldn’t keep a broad smile off his face as well. His girl, damn, she was something. He wished he could just ask her, _What’s wrong, babygirl? Why can’t you talk to Jim?_

He didn’t, though, and dinner at the townhouse was a predictably quiet affair.

The next morning Jim woke to a throbbing headache and an empty bed. Rolling over with a wince, the smell of coffee and faint clatter from downstairs reminded him: it was Saturday and Joanna was visiting. They were supposed to go to the music festival; she might not talk to him, but her excitement for the day had been obvious. Trust Jim’s still dicey immune system to fuck things up. Hauling himself into the en suite he briefly consulted his image in the mirror before showering as hot as he could bear it in an effort to put some color on his face.

Of course, Leonard noticed the moment he walked into the kitchen, lowering a spatula and loudly declaring, “Jim, you look like crap.”

Joanna looked up sharply from her bowl of cereal, eyes narrowing when she got a good look at him.

Shuffling his way to the table, Jim waved a hand dismissively, “Just a bit of a headache. I’ll have breakfast and then lie down with a vid. I’ll be fine.”

Lips thinning, Leonard flipped a pancake onto a plate and turned the stove off. Dropping the plate in front of Jim, he pressed a palm to the younger man’s forehead. “You’re a little warm. Maybe I should take you into the hospital for a scan.”

“Are you kidding?” Accepting the plate and forcing himself to take a bite, Jim talked around it as he insisted, “I’m fine, Bones. It’s just a headache. Give me that analgesic you’re always threatening to jab me with and go. It’s the festival— you can’t miss that. I’ll just stay home and rest. Promise.”

“Humpf,” Leonard didn’t look convinced, but disappeared for a moment before returning with a scanner and a hypo. Jim forced himself to keep eating as the scanner whirred and beeped. Eyebrows drawing together, the doctor reported, “it’s a little inconclusive.”

Tilting his head, Jim waved a hand invitingly, “Neck. Hypo. Done.”

Grumbling, Leonard obliged with a gruff, “You comm me if you feel any worse.”

“Go,” Jim managed a smile that was only a little sickly around the edges, “Have fun!”

As they walked out the door, it was Joanna who glanced back.

 

**********

 

Eight hours later Leonard put an arm around Joanna as they made their way up the driveway. It had been a _great_ day, one he would remember when the Enterprise shipped out and they were far apart again. Joanna leaned into the embrace, bumping companionably against his side, and warmth blossomed in his chest. God, it had been worth it: coming to Georgia. He just wished Jim could have been there too. Although perhaps it wouldn’t quite have been the same.

And speaking of Jim… the door swung open to a silent townhouse. Setting down the bag of take-out dinner on the kitchen island, he ventured further into the house, “Jim? We’re home.”

No response, which was unlike Jim. Even if having a nap the young captain was a notoriously light sleeper.

“Jim?” Rounding the doorway into the living room, he caught sight of a bundle of blankets on the couch that made him pause and look more closely: a bundle of blankets that obscured everything but the tips of Jim’s hair. Bending down, Leonard gently tugged the blankets aside for a closer look and Jim didn’t even stir. The younger man’s face was flushed and his breathing labored, sweat standing out on his forehead even as he seemed to be shivering. It was years of training that made Leonard’s voice sound normal, albeit flat, as he said, “Joanna, get my medical bag, please.”

She scampered to comply, standing anxiously nearby as Leonard crouched and ran his scanner over the younger man. By the time the device beeped she was unable to contain herself, worriedly asking, “Is Jim okay?”

Rocking back on his heels in equal parts relief and frustration, Leonard selected a hypo from his arsenal and deftly administered it before replying, “He will be.” Slotting a second ampoule in place, he administered a further hypo before looking up at her. “I’m going to ask your mother to pick you up.”

“No!”

“Jo…”

Arms crossed, her chin jutted out in a gesture that was pure Jocelyn as she asked, “Does he have to go to the hospital?”

The scanner results weren’t good, but not so bad that Leonard was inclined to ask for a beam. “No, but I’m going to be busy looking after him tonight, and he’s going to feel pretty bad when he wakes up.”

“Then I can stay, Dad, please. I’ll be quiet. I can bring you dinner. Please.”

Oh, Hell. Running a palm gently over Jim’s forehead, brushing back sweaty bangs, he looked back up into her green eyes and wished it wasn’t so screwed up. “Fine” He could never choose between them like that. Not really. “But if he gets any worse it’s straight to your mother’s.”

She nodded quickly, just as Jim’s eyes cracked open.

“Easy, Jim.” Leonard’s hand slid down to the younger man’s wrist, taking his pulse as awareness seemed to return full force. Huffing in a breath quickly, Jim jerked only to wince in pain. “Headache?”

Voice raspy, Jim admitted, “My joints are pretty sore too.”

“You eat anything today?”

“Not after breakfast.”

“Did you drink any fluids?”

Embarrassed, Jim shook his head. “I just curled up and fell asleep after you left. He squinted up at Jo standing above. “Did you come home early?”

“Jim, it’s six o’clock.” Leonard ran a hand through his hair and glanced at his daughter, “I’ll spare you the usual lecture. Jo, can you grab a glass of water, please?” As soon as she was out of earshot, he placed a soothing hand on Jim’s shoulder and rubbed gently, “I know you feel like shit, but you’ll be fine, I promise. It looks like you picked up a mild cold and your immune system overreacted a bit. It’ll stop doing that with time. Come on,” helping Jim shift to a sitting position, he tugged the blanket more comfortably into place. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did, you damn fool. Pretending you didn’t feel too bad this morning so Jo and I would go to the festival.” Sensing they weren’t alone any more, he more loudly said, “Don’t worry, Jo, it’s not catching. Just a side effect of a few months ago. Jim’ll be just fine.”

Moving to stand beside her father, she proffered a glass of water that Jim took with a weak grin and still raspy, “Thanks, nurse.”

To his surprise, she smiled, then brushed a stray hair back from her forehead before asking, “Do you need anything else?”

Glancing between Jim and his daughter in veiled surprise, Leonard asked, “You want to learn how to load a hypo?”

“Yes!”

So he showed her, then watched closely as she correctly loaded the analgesic ampoule. When it was ready, Jim wordlessly tilted his head to one side so Leonard talked her through administering it as well.

As the analgesic brought near immediate relief, Jim relaxed back into the cushions and closed his eyes with a mumbled, “Thanks, Jo.”

“Maybe…” she bit her lip before seeming to come to a decision, “Maybe we could have a movie night? With the take-out?”

Opening one eye, Jim gauged the sincerity on her face and was surprised to find nothing but earnest hope. In truth, he didn’t feel much like socializing, but wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth if her attitude might be changing again. “That sounds nice.”

“Jim…” Leonard knew the younger man would be feeling like shit and would probably feel better trying to sleep it off in a dark room.

“Just don’t pick something too complex in case I fall asleep.” 

Joanna took that approval to skip off towards the kitchen and Leonard consoled himself with running a follow-up scan and jabbing Jim with another hypo.

“Mr. Jim?” Joanna was back, holding something carefully in front of her.

“You can call him Jim, sweetpea.”

Jim braced himself for the cold shoulder, he couldn’t imagine her taking the direction well, but instead she simply asked, “Would you like the miso soup?”

Oh. “That would be great, Jo.” Jim made sure to avoid Leonard’s eyes as he accepted the bowl, because their mutual surprise could derail the tenuous peace. She disappeared again and reappeared balancing a platter of sushi, flask of water, cups, and three side plates. Expecting the McCoys to curl up together on the smaller couch, Jim was surprised again when Joanna moved to stand in front of him and made a shooing motion, “Move over, Jim. Dad’s got to fit in the middle.”

So he did, and Bones settled stiffly in the middle of the couch with Joanna on his other side. The movie was a summer blockbuster that they’d missed: all quick jokes and the occasional explosion. The soup was just what he needed and as Leonard slowly relaxed next to him Jim found it harder to keep his eyes open.

A burst of music and Jim realized he must have fallen asleep. The movie was still going, but he abandoned all hope of figuring out the plot. Shifting, he realized there was an arm around his shoulders and his head was lolling against Leonard’s biceps.

The shifting must have signalled he was awake, because a southern lilt broke through the noise of the film, “Jeez, Jim, you snored through the car chase.”

Eyes snapping open, Jim found Joanna sprawled unselfconsciously on the other side of the couch, leaning against her father’s side. The sushi was gone, but a bowl of popcorn had materialized and Jim didn’t know how he’d slept through that being made. “Sorry.” She shrugged and crammed another handful of popcorn into her mouth and Jim realized she’d never attempted to tease him before. It felt… good. Surprisingly good, so he added, “Can’t help it: Bones does say I’ve got a big mouth.” She snorted around the popcorn and something that might have been emotion tugged in Jim’s chest.

Arm briefly tightening around the younger man’s shoulders, Leonard asked, “How’re you feeling, Jim?”

Like crap, if he was honest. Giving a shrug that he knew Leonard could feel, Jim replied, “I might just rest my eyes a little more.”

“You go right ahead.” Sensing that Jim would have liked a kiss, he settled for another gentle squeeze instead. As Jim’s breathing evened out again he sensed Joanna had stopped eating and was watching him closely. Glancing down, Leonard met her clear green eyes, but before he could figure out what to say she quickly looked back to the movie.

Another bowl of popcorn and halfway into a second film, a small sound caught Joanna’s attention. She looked up to find Leonard still watching the film, seemingly unconcerned. Listening more carefully she just managed to catch a hitched breath, then another small noise that might have been pain. A sound that was almost a choke and Leonard finally seemed to hear it as well, stiffening under her shoulder.

Nudging her gently, apologetically, so that she’d shift away and give him room, Leonard softly explained, “He gets nightmares sometimes. Particularly when he’s not feeling well.” Jo retreated to the far end of the couch. Leonard contemplated telling her to go to her room, but it was too late as Jim gave a pronounced whimper and jerked awake with a gasp. Quickly taking the younger man by the shoulders, he said, “Easy, Jim. Easy. It was just a dream.” Jim’s gaze was dazed, but he recognized Leonard immediately and quickly leaned forward into a one armed hug. “Shh,” letting Jim press his face into the side of his neck, Leonard repeated, “shh.” 

The cushions shifted as Jo retreated further somewhere behind Leonard, but he couldn’t turn with an armful of Jim.

“Bones.” The name was more of a gasp.

“I know, Jim. You’re fine.” Sensing the younger man was still half asleep and liable to run his mouth in Joanna’s presence, he quickly shifted to urge Jim up to his feet. “Let’s get you to bed where you’ll be more comfortable.” Both steering and supporting the younger man, Leonard spared a glance back at Joanna as he led Jim towards the stairs. She was sitting on the couch with her knees pulled up near her chin, watching them with wide eyes. Cursing internally, because this was not something he’d wanted her to see, Leonard resigned himself to an awkward conversation once Jim was squared away.

Fifteen minutes later he slouched back into the living room to find her still on the couch, posture somewhat more relaxed. Clearly his throat as he sat down facing her, he gently started, “I know you might have some questions…”

“It’s okay, Dad.” Leonard blinked in surprise at being cut off, “Jim told me some stuff when I asked him questions. I get it.”

He doubted she did, but wasn’t sure whether to press it or not, so settled for a not particularly articulate, “Oh. Well…”

Sensing his skepticism, she earnestly explained, “I mean, he told me about the natural disaster and his aunt and uncle and Mum had to talk to me about the Romulan ship because you were on the news and I know Admiral Pike was like his dad and when I asked if he’d really died and if it hurt he said yes, but that was because of how it happened.”

It all came out in a rush, and was far more than Leonard had expected. He wondered when the conversation had taken place, but before he could finish digesting it she moved towards him until his arms automatically came up to hold her in a tight hug.

They stayed like that for what felt like a long time, until she eventually pulled back and he sent her to get ready for bed.

Sitting on the couch alone, Leonard wondered when she’d gotten so big: talking about things like that, even in veiled terms.

**********

 

Jim woke the next day to an aching in his joints and vague sensation that perhaps he should be embarrassed about something that he couldn’t quite remember. It was a few seconds more before he realized that he’d been woken-up: shouting was audible even through the sound-dampening walls. There was a pause where Leonard must have been replying, then the shouting kicked off again, followed by the house-shaking slam of a door that made Jim mourn their damage deposit.

Dead silence reigned, then there were quick footfalls on the stairs and Leonard swept into the room and sagged against the closed bedroom door looking utterly aghast.

Raising an eyebrow, Jim asked, “What’d you do?”

Stunned, Leonard’s throat worked soundlessly for a moment before he managed to admit, “I told her there’s been an emergency and I’ve been called in, and she just started hollering at me.”

“How long?”

Leonard frowned, trying to force his brain back to practicalities, “Four hours, probably. Joce was going to pick Jo up after dinner. I can ask her to come early.”

A glance at the chrono confirmed it was already lunchtime. Pushing back surprise that he’d slept so long, Jim shook his head and asserted, “You can’t let her go angry. Go to the hospital now and you’ll be back in time to make dinner and talk then.”

“Jim...” Because he may have slept, but the younger man was still distinctly too pale.

Injecting more confidence into his voice than he felt, Jim managed a wan smile as he waved a hand, “We’ll be fine. Go.”

Not liking it one bit, there was little Leonard could do but acquiesce and hurry out the door. Duty called.

Jim sat on the bed for a long minute, taking stock of his aching joints and contemplating what to do. Showering quickly, he swallowed a painkiller before dressing in trousers and a short-sleeved button-up. Not quite formal, but not jeans either.

The house was still silent, Joanna’s door tightly closed. Squaring his shoulders, Jim knocked gently on the door.

“What?” The word was more flat than angry.

Cracking the door just enough to lean around the frame without actually encroaching into the room, Jim kept his tone light as he said, “C’mon, kiddo. We need lunch and I know this place that does spectacular ice-cream.”

Joanna was sitting cross-legged on her bed, pillow hugged to her chest. Her face was blotchy, and when she looked up skepticism was plain in her eyes, “I thought you were sick.”

Jim shrugged, “Doesn’t mean ice-cream won’t make me feel better.”

She swallowed, then gave a jerky nod before uncurling and moving to stand. “Let me wash my face first.”

“I’ll get the bike out of the garage.” He stepped back quickly, before she could change her mind.

They rode carefully into town, Jim still not sure if he was strictly supposed to be taking her on the motorcycle or not. 

Holding the door open for her, Jim was glad he’d dressed up a little as Pettifours was as posh as he’d remembered. They were quickly ushered to a table and ordered lunch and dessert. Joanna seemed content to eat in silence and Jim’s stomach had initially wobbled even though only confronted by a fairly traditional sandwich, so he didn’t try to make spurious conversation. It was only when the main dishes had been cleared away and they’d each taken a bite of ice-cream that Jim ventured, “So that was quite a commotion this morning.”

Cheeks pinking in embarrassment, Joanna’s gaze dropped to her salted caramel sundae. 

Jim waited, but she didn’t give him an inch. Eventually, he took a bite of his own sundae before he offered, “I once told my mom I hated her, and I hated Starfleet too.” That got her attention, so he continued, “I told her if she went out into the black again I’d run away like Sam had threatened to. That I hated her for leaving me with Uncle Frank because he was an asshole. And that I hated her because she couldn’t look at me without seeing my dad. That one was probably true, but downright mean to say.”

She was looking straight into his eyes as she digested it, eventually asking softly, “What happened?”

“She still went back out on her ship, but she did listen about Frank.” A half-smile that didn’t quite touch his eyes formed on Jim’s face as he explained, “She did the best she could. All we can ask of people is to do the best they can.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but you know what, Jo? I never really hated her, not even when I was so angry I wrecked Frank’s car on purpose.” He took a bite of sundae, trying to pause to pick his words carefully, “Your dad is one of the best doctors in the ‘fleet. Maybe even the very best. Did you know that?” He waited for her to give a little shake of her head before continuing, “And he loves you so much he’s a mess when he has to be far away for your birthday or the holidays; you’re the center of his universe, Jo, even when he can’t be nearby.”

In a near whisper, she admitted, “My mom said the other doctors weren’t very nice to him after Grandpa McCoy died; that it was too hard to work at the hospital anymore.” When Jim nodded, cautiously but encouragingly, she continued, “And when… when dad moved out they both told me I’d still see him...”

“But then he went to Starfleet,” Jim finished for her. 

She nodded, gripping her spoon so tightly her knuckles whitened.

Remembering their days at the academy, when Leonard kept Sunday evenings sacrosanct for his weekly call with Joanna, but made it to Georgia fewer than a handful of times a year. The intricacies of depression and mourning and alcohol abuse weren’t topics Jim was about to broach, and neither was _sole physical custody_ or _supervised visitation_. Instead he just focused on what he did know, “He’d have stayed with you if he could’ve, Jo, but at the time Starfleet was where he needed to go. He didn’t have a choice in that. Then once he got there…” She was watching him closely, and more than that Jim got the sense that she _believed_ him too. “The problem with being a great doctor is they care about helping people, and Bones helps a lot of people, out there.” Conceding his own self-interest in the situation, Jim added, “Me included.” Her eyebrows were drawing together in a way that was so much like her father it gave him a hunch: “Does he tell you much about what he does?”

She quickly lowered her eyes, taking a bite of ice-cream as she gave a little shake of her head as if it didn’t bother her.

Oh, Bones, Jim thought. “I guess he wants to hear all your news when you talk?” She nodded, so Jim reminded himself she was twelve and tried to pick anecdotes carefully, “Well one day we picked up a distress call and it was from a planet that had refused to join the Federation in the past. It was really bad when we got there: there was a sickness that had spread through the population and they’d been too afraid to ask for help. They had this crazy idea that if they joined the Federation we’d take over their dilithium mines. Your dad beamed down in an EV suit and started hollering at the prime minister for waiting to ask for help and jabbing everyone with hypos and within four days he’d worked out an effective treatment for the sickness _and_ developed a vaccine. He saved a _planet_ , Jo. They gave him a medal and everything.” She was watching with rapt attention, but there was still a muddle of emotion in her eyes. “Your dad cares about helping people, even though he has to make tremendous sacrifices to do it. He’s not choosing to leave you, Jo. He’s doing the very best he can.”

There was an expression on her face that suggested she was holding back tears. He gave a moment for the previous statement to sink in, then added, “Whatever you said to him: he’ll know what’s true and what’s not, once he has time to think about it.” At least Jim hoped Leonard did, because he’d bet money she’d said she hated him. Her face crumpled further at that, so Jim gently pressed, “Just talk to him, okay? I promise he’ll listen.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

She went back to her ice-cream, methodically eating a few bites before lowering the spoon to ask, “Jim?” When he raised an eyebrow, mouth full, she said, “Thanks.” 

It wasn’t _I’m sorry_ , but perhaps close enough. He nodded with a smile, and they both turned their attention to dessert.

By the time they rode home both the illness and the emotion had caught up with Jim and his shoulders slumped with exhaustion as he finally shut the garage door. Following him inside, Joanna eyed him as he collapsed only partially theatrically onto the couch, “Are you okay, Jim?”

He contemplating just lying, but didn’t want to be the one to bring untruths between them, “I’ll be fine, Jo. I just need a little rest. Your dad should be home in an hour or two to make dinner. You want to put a movie on until then?”

“I’ve got reading to do,” she admitted, “we’re supposed to read two chapters this weekend and I’m not done yet.” 

Jim suppressed a weary smile, because he doubted she’d even started. “Okay. I’ll have a nap out here then. Wake me up if you need anything, okay?” When she nodded, he took stock and realized he might have to ask for some help of his own. He wouldn’t take a hypo while he was the only adult in the house, but his joints were aching again so he asked, “Could you get me a glass of water and the bottle of painkillers on the counter in the bathroom upstairs, please?”

She hurried to comply, then watched carefully as he swallowed one pill and then stretched out on the sofa. Eyes already, feeling heavy, Jim repeated, “Anything you need, you wake me up.”

“I will,” and it was the _I will_ couched in a _jeez_ of a near-teenager who felt they were being pandered to, but weren’t quite going to call you on it.

Humored by Bones’ daughter. He was still smiling at the thought of it as he drifted off. 

 

**********

An indistinct sound woke Jim. Shifting blearily on the couch, he discovered he was… covered? His eyes snapped open and he was surprised to find a soft throw blanket that definitely hadn’t been there when he’d practically collapsed earlier. He could just see far enough into the hall to tell that Joanna’s bedroom door was closed, although faint music was audible through the barrier. 

Settling back into the cushions, he allowed himself to smile as sleep claimed him again.

Some time later the scrape of the front door startled Jim awake again. A handful of quick footsteps and Leonard appeared at the foot of the couch, concerned frown melting into a fond smile as he took in the younger man.

Smiling crookedly in return, Jim felt a surge of warmth in his chest. “Hey.”

Softly, Leonard moved closer, “Hey yourself. How’re you feeling?”

“Fell asleep after lunch; not too bad, but achy earlier. A painkiller helped.”

Resisting the urge to go for his medical kit, Leonard instead moved to stoop by the couch and press a hand to Jim’s forehead. When the younger man hummed his approval, he brushed sandy-blonde hair back so he could press a kiss to the exposed skin.

Craning upwards to invite a kiss to his lips, Jim waited until the other man eventually pulled back to say, “She’s doing homework in her room. You should go talk to her.”

Leonard winced and hesitated, glancing towards her bedroom then back to Jim. It was such an uncharacteristic gesture Jim raised an eyebrow in surprise, “Are you afraid?” When the question wasn’t met by an immediate denial, he couldn’t help but snort, “Bones, you’ve faced down murderous aliens, defused torpedoes…”

“Yeah, yeah.” Waving a hand between them to shut Jim up, “You missed the worst of it this morning. I don’t… I’ve never seen her so furious and I don’t...”

Holding up a hand of his own, Jim quickly sobered in the face of very real insecurity. “It’s all right. There’s just some things you’re long overdue to talk about. Listen to what she has to say, and be honest, okay? She may be twelve, but she’s not an idiot.”

“‘Course she’s not!” Leonard raised a crooked eyebrow in mock derision, “She’s a McCoy.”

“It’ll be fine, Bones.” Jim glanced down at the blanket and couldn’t help but grin. “I promise.”

Leonard looked like he wanted to say something more, but glanced towards the closed bedroom door and seemed to come to a decision. Bending down again, he pressed another quick kiss to Jim’s lips before squaring his shoulders and going to knock on his daughter’s door.

“Yeah?” It wasn’t the sullen response Leonard might have expected; the primary note seemed to be uncertainty.

“Can I come in?”

There was a pause of two seconds where Jim imagined both McCoys garnering their courage, then through the door a soft, “Okay.”

Sparing a glance back towards the living room to find Jim flashing a ridiculous thumbs up of encouragement, Leonard carefully opened the door and went to talk to his daughter.


	4. Chapter 4

Joanna and Leonard emerged from the bedroom an hour later, both sporting slightly red-rimmed eyes they didn’t seem keen to talk about. Jim had quietly refrained from prying and simply sat at the table with a padd while the McCoys flitted around the kitchen preparing dinner. When Joanna and Leonard each made a point of privately catching his eye for a smile of thanks, Jim couldn’t help but indulge in a burgeoning sense of satisfaction. Family.

Jocelyn picked Jo up shortly after dinner and Jim was embarrassed to admit that despite the nap the excitement of the day was such that he barely managed to help tidy away the dishes. Eventually Leonard resorted to giving the younger man an affectionate swat with the dishtowel, pointing towards the upstairs bedroom with a warm smile and uncompromising eyebrow. Jim was asleep before Leonard made it upstairs as well.

The next morning Leonard took the day off and they spent it at home, curled up watching films and relaxing in a way that would be a rare indulgence once Enterprise launched again. Tracing his finger idly across Leonard’s belly, Jim wondered if he could convince Scotty to install a larger bed in the captain’s quarters.

The next few days went quickly: Leonard doing his final consults at the hospital and Jim feeling well enough to finish a few projects for Eleanor. Friday afternoon they’d picked Joanna up from school and taken her out for dinner, then curled up on the couch at home to watch a movie. Leonard in the middle with one arm around Jo and the other outstretched towards Jim. 

Saturday morning she hugged Leonard tightly, whispering something in his ear that had them both tearing up

She hugged Jim as well. 

Not for long, or too tight, but it was a hug. Just for Jim.

If his eyes were a little wet when they climbed into the flitter, no one said anything.

 

**********

Five years later.

A few rogue threads of grey had appeared in Leonard’s hair and Jim’s back was still prone to aching after Altamid. Older. Wiser, if the admiralty was to be believed. The loss of a ship tempered by a renewed appreciation that they were actually _out there_. Sometimes, sitting in the chair, Jim could almost hear Christopher Pike’s voice: _”You know what Starfleet is, don't you? It's important._ ”

A year exploring the nebula and systems surrounding Yorktown and the Enterprise-A was en route for Earth: a stopover before continuing to the Laurentian System. For most of the human crew it was a long-awaited homecoming.

For Jim and Leonard, well, it wasn’t so much home as a place as who they’d get to see. 

Jim and Joanna hadn’t been in the same room since she was twelve. Leonard had been to see her on Cerberus while the Enterprise-A was still under construction, but Jim had been stuck on Yorktown with the lingering fallout of the Franklin. Now a surprising role-reversal was taking place: they were slated to beam down to Georgia at 1400 hours, and while Jim had finished up the handover to the spacedock crew on time, Leonard had been called back to medbay when Crewman T’shien had managed to shatter her ankle trying to secure the engine couplings. The message to Jo and Jim had been apologetic: duty called, and with Andorian physiology a little twitchy where osteoregenerators were concerned surgery was likely to take a couple hours at least.

Climbing onto the transporter pad alone, Jim tugged the strap of his bag to settle more comfortably across his chest. _Joey_ , he reminded himself. She was going by _Joey_.

A familiar tingle and the bright lights of the ship blurred into the commercial transport point. Stepping off the pad, Jim cast his gaze around until...

“Jim!”

Holy shit. She was _tall_. Comm screens had never quite conveyed that. Seventeen years old and Joanna McCoy had grown into her long limbs and large green eyes.

“Joey!” He wasn’t sure what to expect, but couldn’t contain a wide smile and she pushed her way through the crowd. 

Jim stopped short, uncertain, but she didn’t hesitate before pulling him into a tight hug, stretching up so he could hear, “It’s so good to see you.”

Bending slightly so they were closer in height, he replied, “It’s good to see you too.”

“Come on,” she pulled back and took him by the hand, dragging him along towards the exit as she laughed, “I made us a reservation.”

There was a flitter parked outside and she waved towards the passenger side before going around to slide into the driver’s seat. _Joanna driving_. Bones was going to quietly have a stroke, and he’d do it with an encouraging smile on his face.

He didn’t quite remember the layout of the city, so it was only when she pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine that Jim looked out his window and realized where they were. 

Pettifours.

His head snapped around in surprise and he found her watching him closely, a warm smile curling her lips in a gesture that was just like her father. Clearly enjoying his moment of surprise, she softly said, “Tradition.”

And damned if Jim didn’t just about tear up at that.

As if sensing emotion perilously close to the surface, she grabbed her purse out of the back seat and said, “Come on!” She let Jim hold the door for her, but glided up to the host’s station with a confident, “Reservation for McCoy.”

Joanna got a honeycomb sundae; Jim peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.

It was just how Jim remembered it, even if the girl on the other side of the table had turned into a young woman.

They chatted easily: Joanna asking questions about their exploration with the Enterprise-A and telling him all about Georgia and her final year of high school. She waited until most of his dessert was gone before taking a deep breath and into a pause quickly saying, “I want to apply to the academy.”

Something leapt in Jim’s chest; a complex mix of emotions that eventually bypassed his own thoughts on the matter and centered on, “Have you told Bones?”

“I’m warming him up to the idea.”

Leonard hadn’t mentioned anything. Jim’s eyes narrowed and sure enough...

“Slowly.” She bit her lip. “Can you help?”

Jim was smart enough to know she didn’t mean help getting accepted. Bones may have warmed up to the idea of Starfleet since that rant in a shuttle, but how he was going to take Joanna declaring an interest in _disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence_. Looking into her earnest green eyes, Jim heard himself say, “Warn me before you talk to him, and I’ll be ready.”

She smiled and it looked like a weight lifted from her shoulders. Jim still sometimes couldn’t believe he could have that effect on her, engendering honest happiness, but damn it felt good. Joanna took a bite of her sundae, then asked, “How long are you Earthside for?”

“Three weeks. The crew have two weeks of leave then we’ll re-provision, but the senior staff need to be back in San Francisco in four days. We’ve got briefings, promotions to finalize, some retrofits to oversee, and we’ll be picking some new crew for all the departments.

“Do you think I could come visit for a couple days?”

Jim was embarrassed to realize it hadn’t occurred to him that she might want to. “I think that’ll soften the blow,” he chuckled, “even if he has to give you a tour around campus.” The thought of getting to take her around the academy, telling stories of when he and Bones were cadets… Jim had to take a quick sip of his coffee to temper sudden excitement.

The conversation shifted back to Starfleet more generally: what Jim knew of their upcoming diplomatic and exploratory mission, the most interesting discoveries they’d made, funny stories about Bones that he’d never have told her himself.

She paid. And Jim let her, because it was _too damn cool_ that Joanna had taken him out.

“Thanks, Joey.” It encompassed far more than just the dessert, and from her smile she knew it too.

“You’re welcome, Jim.” She gave him a companionable punch to the shoulder as they headed towards the door. “Now let’s go get my dad before he complains we’ve forgotten him.”


End file.
